For several years, anime has dominated American animation in terms of dramatic, adult-oriented science-fiction storytelling. However, American productions have started to turn the corner, and in this arena, Love, Death, + Robots hold a special distinction. The series has not shown favorites in any particular style or genre. Its episodes range wildly in length and tone, leaving no part of the spectrum untouched.
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Some are ridiculously silly, while others are harrowing in the most twisted and perverse ways. It's definitely a risk for shows to have such varied content as it may turn off an audience that is looking for one thing and not the other, but for true sci-fi connoisseurs, it's a pleasure to behold. Here's a ranking of some of the show's top episodes.
10 Night Of The Mini Dead
There's a certain beauty in simplicity. In terms of animated shorts, sometimes stories can get bogged down in deep storytelling and in-depth characters. This episode has none of that. In fact, in many ways, it does the exact opposite.
The short essentially zooms out on various locations as a zombie apocalypse, like we saw in World War Z, unfolds. The effect is that all the characters are miniature, and the viewer is nothing more than a voyeur watching the horror take place. It's not exactly a comedy, but it is funny and offers a different kind of perspective for the genre.
9 When The Yogurt Took Over
The great thing about this show is how much it embraces the absurdity of its comedy, and things can't get much more absurd than this episode. The essential premise is that yogurt gains sentience and schemes to take over the planet.
Besides being absolutely hilarious, the story essentially chronicles Man's folly and how easily things can fall apart. The best kind of satire is one that has you laughing, thinking, and scratching your head all at the same time. Having yogurt seemingly outthink all of the civilization embraces the kind of scary and funny viewers come to this show for.
8 Kill Team Kill
Just as some of the comedic episodes don't overthink things, this episode does the same in regard to its action. Essentially, it's about a group of soldiers on a mission. The story is largely irrelevant — all that matters is the fighting, which is displayed in beautifully graphic animation.
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While some episodes with heavy storytelling try to have as realistic a style as possible, this episode goes in the opposite direction, embracing violent animation like Chainsaw Man through the most ridiculous means possible. Viewers in need of deep themes might look elsewhere, but for viewers looking to turn their brains off and enjoy some mayhem, this is the perfect episode.
7 Automated Customer Service
Not every episode has to lean in one direction or another. Sometimes, action and comedy can go hand in hand. This episode accomplishes it by taking a relatively mundane subject to which most viewers can relate and turning it into a nightmare.
As a service robot goes berserk and tries to kill its owner, the action plays out in hilarious, over-the-top fashion. Adding to the episode, it substitutes dialogue for commentary that's delivered through a customer service rep. It's a clever device that makes for a rounded and entertaining episode.
6 All Through The House
Some of the greatest stories are those that take something familiar and turn it on its head. In terms of Christmas, there's nothing more innocent and classic than a bunch of kids waiting up to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus coming down the chimney.
It's just the kind of timeless trope that this show loves to rip apart. It replaces Santa Claus with a hideous monster that has the kids running for their lives. This short is the perfect combination of horror and comedy that fans of the show love.
5 Swarm
Everything on this list has pretty much been simple and basic concepts executed to perfection, but the top-tier episodes are ones that take a truly grounded approach to storytelling that is both profound and philosophical. Swarm accomplishes all of this through a basic question of humanity's place in the universe.
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In the distant future, a collective alien hive mind absorbs species to ensure their survival. Humanity ignorantly tries to use this force for its own means and falls in the process. It's compelling sci-fi storytelling wrapped in beautiful animation.
4 Sonnie's Edge
The trope of battling avatars is common in science fiction. Doesn't matter if it's mechanized robots or even Pokémon, it has taken many forms and styles. This show puts a unique spin on the form with a compelling twist at the end.
It shows that survival means so much more when someone is fighting for their life. It's a profound sentiment that's made even more important when portrayed through the short's backstory involving sexual assault and bodily autonomy. Plus, dark sci-fi fans love a good female revenge story.
3 Shape-Shifters
The basic premise behind Shape-Shifters is fairly simple — it takes werewolves and has them serve in the military. However, where the short shines is by showing the social and mental ramifications of such a situation. It has both the werewolves and regular humans trying to wrestle with the fact that some people are just physically superior to others. Add in the fact that it's told through top-notch animation and great action, and this story is one of the best that Love, Death, + Robots has to offer.
2 Three Robots
Besides all of the profound philosophy and eye-catching animation, sometimes good writing trumps all. That's what Three Robots delivers as it merely follows three different types of artificial intelligence traveling destroyed cities after the fall of humanity, a setting similar to what viewers now see in The Last Of Us.
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The seemingly irreverent robots comment on modern humanity through the lens of a dystopian future. It's silly, funny, and refreshing in the middle of shorts filled with so much death and depressing destruction. Add in a silly twist of an ending, and this short deserves to be near the top of the list.
1 Beyond the Aquila Rift
There's nothing more terrifying than questioning one's reality. The thought that what you see and hear may not be real has been explored in science fiction time and time again. Beyond the Aquila Rift puts a spin on the premise through a truly horrifying lens. It follows a space explorer that was lost and rescued by a past lover. However, he begins to realize things are not what they seem. The twist revelation at the end is so bone-chilling that it resonates with viewers long after it's over.
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